A teenager was found hanged at her home after suffering months of bullying by anonymous ‘trolls’ on a notorious website.

Hannah Smith, 14, was taunted on Ask.fm – linked to at least four teenage deaths in the past year – over her weight, the death of an uncle and an apparent propensity to self-harm.

She had also been urged to ‘drink bleach’ by the anonymous tormentors, friends said.

The tragedy comes amid a continuing escalation of the abusive and threatening ‘trolling’ of high-profile women on Twitter.

In the aftermath of Hannah’s apparent suicide, her devastated father, David, took to Facebook to urge parents to stop their children using the Latvian-based Ask.fm, which has been condemned as a ‘stalker’s paradise’ by child safety experts.

Mr Smith called for its creators to be prosecuted for manslaughter.

Less than a fortnight before her body was found early last Friday, Hannah begged her tormentors – who can hide behind a cloak of anonymity on the site – to stop the abuse.

In another post, she told one bully who had branded her an ‘ugly f*****’ how she had already attempted suicide and added: ‘Getting things like this from people that like to hide behind there (sic) computer screen doesn’t make me feel any better.’

Writing on Facebook on Saturday, Mr Smith, a 45-year-old lorry driver, said: ‘I have just seen the abuse my daughter got from people on ask fm and the fact that these people can be anonymous is wrong.

'The person that created this website should be done for manslaughter.’

Mr Smith split up with his first wife Tracey, 35, seven years ago and raised daughters Hannah and Joanne, 16, with his second wife Deb in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.

Posting: Hannah put this photo online on Thursday, the day before she killed herself

Devastated: Hannah Smith's father Dave Smith
wants the website Ask.fm banned and is urging other parents not to allow
their children to use it

Message: Dave Smith's message to friends and loved ones as a petition to get Ask.fm banned is launched

Moving: Flowers left outside Dave Smith's house in Lutterworth as a tribute for his daughter Hannah

Taunts and abusive comments written
in teenage ‘text speak’ remained visible on Hannah’s Ask.fm profile
yesterday, which Hannah last used on Thursday. In her final days, she
had been branded a ‘cow’ and ‘fat sl**’ – but had also been praised on
her appearance and told she was ‘fit’ by others.

On July 20, a vile troll wrote, ‘u
ugly f*** go die evry1 wuld be happy’, prompting Hannah to reply: ‘yes, i
may be ugly, but you obviously have an ugly personality to tell people
to ‘go die’!’

Upsetting: Hannah's family and friends have paid tribute to the 'beautiful' 14-year-old

Other hurtful posts urged her to ‘do us all a favour n kill ur self’ and ‘go comit suicide’.

Hannah replied: ‘wouldn’t you fell bad if I did ey?’

Just the day before she apparently
killed herself, Hannah posted a picture message on Facebook which read:
‘You think you want to die, but in reality you just want to be saved.’

Her distraught father yesterday declined to add to his Facebook postings, while Hannah’s mother could not be contacted.

Friends and family also set up a
Facebook tribute site, writing: ‘Hannah Smith; a beautiful young girl
who everyone loved very much; who decided to take her own life after
being bullied; we will miss you princess; love you.’

Police are examining Hannah’s computer and mobile phone.

Latvian-based Ask.fm has more than
60million users and lets anyone see the names, photographs and personal
details of boys and girls as young as 13.

Users post comments that range from
insults to sexual advances and threats of violence. It has been heavily
criticised by anti-bullying charities because it allows users to post
anonymous comments or questions – often of a sexual or insulting nature.

Last autumn two Irish schoolgirls –
Ciara Pugsley, 15, from Leitrim, and Erin Gallagher, 13, from Donegal –
took their own lives after being subjected to anonymous bullying on the
site.

In April, Josh Unsworth, 15, from Lancashire, was found hanged after suffering months of abusive messages.

Upsetting: Hannah Smith and her father Dave when she was a baby and and as a teenager, and he said today Ask.fm were 'dancing on her grave'

Row: Ask.fm says it does not take full responsibility for what is on its site and does not monitor posts, which has led to advertisers leaving them in droves

Charity BeatBulling said one in three
young people were bullied online. Founder Emma-Jane Cross said: ‘Young
people, as in the tragic case of Hannah Smith, face a daily barrage of
online abuse, death threats and harassment.

‘Adults need to set an example for
young people and we all have a responsibility to tackle this type of
behaviour and keep our children safe. We want internet service
providers, schools, the Government and the police to come together and
produce a UK anti-bullying strategy.’

If you or a family member have contemplated suicide, contact The Samaritans on 08457 909090

Hannah replied: 'yes i may be ugly, but you obviously have an ugly personality to tell people to 'go die'! oh and btw i think you may need a dictionary love:*'

Days earlier on July 7 another abuser posted: 'Die due (sic) die due (sic) die due (sic).'

The day before, she received another chilling message which read: 'go (sic) die u pathetic emo.'

On July 5 a troll called her a 'fat self harmin' c***' while another wrote 'do us all a favour n kill ur self'.

Another message read: 'go comit (corr) suicide but sued (sic) pls.'

Hannah replied: 'wouldn't you fell bad if i did ey?'

On the same day as the torrent of abuse, Hannah pleaded: 'omg can you just f*** off who ever this is.'

On May 5 Hannah was again targeted when a sick troll wrote: 'Ur uncle deserved cancer and die.'

In desperation, brave Hannah replied: 'My uncle had cancer and yes he sadly passed away and I do miss him, he was an amazing man and he certainly didn't deserve cancer, so if I was you I would either come say it my face or come off anon so I know who it is.'

On the same day Hannah was even tormented about her family who the troll appeared to know.

The troll wrote: 'Would be better if ur mum actualy killed u hahaha.'

A month earlier on April 5 Hannah was taunted because of her appearance.

The troll wrote: 'well you are a s***, have you seen yourself, ever heard of how to apply your makeup properly, you look about 10.'

Another user wrote: 'U should commit suicide. no1 would care if ya died u cretin'

A clearly distressed Hannah replied: 'wow, well for your information I've tried commiting suicide before, and yes I know I'm ugly no need to tell me :( and getting things like this from people that like to hide behind there computer screen doesn't make me feel any better then me!

'How would you feel if I did commit suicide because of this? So if you want to give me hate then either inbox me, say it to my face or come off anon!'